"We have been looking at ordinances from other towns and also looked at research from the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities," he said. "We have backed away from some of the language of tougher ordinances. It's not a real tough ordinance. It's meant to deal with issues of public safety."

"For the most part, I think people are for it," Szatkowski said. "There are some situations, like a senior with limited income -- we're not going after them. This is for a safety issue, a health issue, a fire issue or a blight issue. That's the objective."

The idea is not to go around looking for a problem, he said.

Property owners would be approached and given time to correct problems, Knickerbocker said, before any penalties kicked in.

The proposed penalty for continuous violation would be not less than $10 and not more than $100 per day beyond the time allocated by the anti-blight officer to correct the violation.

Bethel's proposed ordinance says that there may be properties "which are vacant and/or in a blighted condition, and that the continued existence of such properties contributes to the decline of neighborhoods and constitutes nuisances.

"It is further found that the existence of such properties adversely affects the economic well being of the town and is inimical to the health, safety and welfare of its residents."

But, the proposal further notes that "many of the properties can be rehabilitated, reconstructed, demolished and/or reused so as to provide decent, safe and sanitary housing, and that such rehabilitation, reconstruction, demolition and/or reuse would eliminate, remedy and prevent the adverse conditions described above."

Blight conditions would include a structure or parcel of land that posed a serious threat to the safety, health and general welfare of the community, property documented as attracting illegal activity, and fire hazards.

Missing, damaged or boarded windows or doors, collapsing or missing walls and other signs of disrepair would be covered. And debris such as parts of automobiles, unused indoor furniture, appliances and garbage in public view might also constitute a violation.